Tobacco harvester



July 2, 1957 w. A. MlsH, .1R

TOBACCO HARVESTER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 18, 1955 m, R r o m JT m Q .wm :i .mm E "i N\ O f/ m ma Nk Nw m9 mk m @wn QQ E o .m Q A mb @s @E NQ 7 t. Q v. w NQ- S um n QN m v QS o m e =/Q Sv A am 1 Y Y mm www. wm wm n E n.. v o o mn o sm. um o vw July 2, 1957 W A- MlsH, JR 2,797,827

TOBACCO HARVESTER Filed May 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet` 2 wi//iam A Mis/1, Jr. IN V EN TOR.

BY www SMw Fig. 2

July 2, 1957 w. A. MlsH, JR

TOBACCO HARVESTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 18, 1955 Wil/iam A.

Mish, Jr

INVENTOR.

BY m/fwy HMM TOBACC() HARVESTER William A. Mish, Jr., Washington, N. C.

Application May 18, 1955, Serial No. 509,196

9 Claims. (Cl. 21A-83.1)

This invention. relates generally to agricultural machinery and more particularly to an apparatus for expediting andV facilitating the harvest of tobacco and is an improvement-f over the apparatus disclosed in the copending` application of William A. Mish, Jr., Serial No. 384,401, tiled October 6, 1953, for Tobacco Harvester,

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a tobacco harvester which will substantiallyreduce the time and effort heretofore necessary to harvest a crop of tobacco.

The concept of this invention resides in the provision ofV a tobaccoharvester which is so arranged as to enable the' tobacco pickers to sit in a comfortable sitting position where they are able to pick a greater amount of tobacco because of the elimination of a great amount of the lost motion heretofore involved in the stooping, walking, and bending to pick tobacco leaves. The tobacco pickers then place the tobacco leavesV in suitable tobacco lifts and when these tobacco lifts are full they are adaptedf to be raised to a platform 4above the tobacco lifters where they are secured to suitable tobacco sticks utilized therewith.

An additionall object of the invention resides in the provision of ay novel tobacco lift adapted to hold a plurality of tobacco leaves arranged primarily so that they may be clampingly engaged by the opposed portions of a tobacco stick once the tobacco lifts are in a raised position. t

The construction of this invention further features utilization of endless belts which are arranged in spaced relationshipv 'and held in such a manner as to grasp the 4 tobacco leaves therebetween. Segments of foam rubber are appended to the endless belts and form gripping means. Utilization of teeth in the foam rubber segments is of course within the contemplation of this invention.

An additional feature of the invention resides in the provision of novel lift means including lift arms for raising the tobacco lifts and incorporated in this construction 'are hydraulic bulers for controlling the speed of descent of the tobacco lifts. l

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a tobacco harvester which is strong and durable, comparatively simple in construction and manufacture, capable of allowing tobacco pickers to pick selected tobacco leaves from the tobacco plants in a manner as may be necessary,A and which is inexpensive to operate while being substantially foolproof in operation.

These, together with the various ancillaryobjects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds,` are attained by this tobacco harvester, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the laccompanying drawings, by way of example, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the tobacco harvester according to the present invention;

l' ited States Patent O lCe Figure 2 is a plan view of the tobacco harvester;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the tobacco lifts;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectionaldetail view illustrating the interior construction of one of tobacco lifts;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional detail view of one of the tobacco lifts and the actuating mechanisms utilized therewith;

Figure 6 is a detail end elevational view of a tobacco lift; and

Figure 7 is a sectional detail view illustrating the construction of the pedal actuation mechanism for actuating the endless belts in the tobacco leaves.

With continuing reference to the accompanying draw'-l ings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 usually designates the tobacco harvester comprising the present invention. This tobacco harvester includes a wheeled chassis 12 of suitable configuration having two rear wheels 14 and 16 and a front drive and steering wheel 18 which is driven through motor 20 by a chainy and sprocket drive 22Y or other suitable arrangement. A steering wheel 24 may be provided for controlling the path of travel of the tobacco harvester.

Mounted on the chassis 12 are la pair of seats 26 and 28 for tobacco pickers and supported on the chassis 12 is a suitable framework 30 which supports a platform 32 on which the operator of the tobacco harvester sits and on which tobacco sticks may be positioned.

Pivotally mounted on the frame 30 are a plurality of lift arms 40, 42, 44 and 46 which are pivotally attached as at 47 between spaced ears mounted on tobacco lift assemblies 48, 50, 52 and 54. As can be best seen in Figure 1, each of the lift arms is provided with latches 56 engageable with toothed members 58 when the lift arms are in the raised position. In order to raise the lift arms, there are attached thereto suitable cables 60, 62, 64 and 66 which are entrained about suitable pulleys as indicated at 70 mounted on the frame 30 and are also wound about drums as at 72, see Figure l, which are connectable through a clutch arrangement controlled by separate linkages as at 76 so as to be frictionally engaged with the hubs of the wheels 14 and` 16 thereby driving the drums 72 in a selected manner to shorten or lengthen the cables so as to raise or lower the lift arms.

The linkages 76 may be controlled by a clutch lever` 78, the clutch lever and linkages being of conventional construction.

A plurality of hydraulic buffers 80 comprising hydraulic cylinders and pistons having a dashpot operation are terminally secured to the lift arms and to the frame 30 so as to buffer the lift 'arms and appended tobacco lifts when they are permitted to be lowered by gravity when the latches 56 have been released from the toothed members 58 upon operation of the foot release levers 82. The foot release levers 82 may be mounted coaxially for convenience and construction.

In order to assure that the tobacco lifts 48, S0, 52 and 54 will be maintained in a level position, suitable cables 84 are terminally attached to the frame as at 86 and to the tobacco lifts as at 88 and are entrained about a suitable set of pulleys 90 mounted on the lift arms.

Referring now to the construction of the tobacco lifts in detail, and upon consideration of Figures 3 through 6, it will be noted that each of the tobacco lifts 4S, 50, 52 and 54 are of generally similar construction. Considering the tobacco lift 54, it will be noted that the tobacco lift 54 is formed in two sections 96 and 98 which are pivotally attached to each other as at by means of a rivet or like fasteners, the rivets 100 and- 102 passing through sets of ears 104, 106 and 108, 110. In or 3 der to lock the sections 96 and 98 against pivotal movement when such is not desired, spring pressed latches 112 and 114 of any suitable construction are provided and are interconnected by a cable 116. Hence, Ypulling upon the cable 116 will cause the latches` 112 and 114 to be withdrawn thereby permitting the sections 96 and 93 to pivot as may be desired. Y

Mounted within the tobacco lift section 96 are a pair of sprockets 117 and 11S and a similar pair of sprockets 120 and 122 are mounted within the lift section 98.

Depending from the lift sprockets 11S and 122 are a pair of shafts 124 and 126 which have intermeshing gears 128 and 130 mounted thereon. Also mounted on the shaft 124 is a sprocket 132 engageable by a pull dog member 134 rotatably mounted as at 136 by means of a pin in a head 138 of a linkage '14@ threadedly adjustably secured to the head as 142 for use in actuating the pull 134 to rotate the sprocket 132. A spring 144 is provided for continuously urging the pull 134 into engagement with the sprocket 132. A spring 146 biases the head 135 and a guide 5t) depending from the lift section 96. Connected to the link 140 is a connecting rod 152 to which a crank arm 154 operated by a pedal 156 is attached. As the tobacco picker seated on one of the seats 26 or 28 actuates one of the foot pedals 156, the pull 134 will cause the sprocket 132 to be rotated thus rotating both of the gears 128 and 130 and causing the sprockets 11S, 122 and the endless belts or chains 160 and 162 entrained thereabout to be moved in a step by step manner. The belts 166 and 162 have sets of pins 164 and 166 extending therethrough which engage with the teeth of the sprockets 117, 118, 120 and 122 in the obvious manner.

Mounted within Athe sections 96 and 9S of the tobacco lifts are a plurality of rollers arranged in sets as at 168 and 170 which hold llights of the endless belts in spaced opposition relative to each other. Mounted on the belts are a plurality of segments of foam rubber or the like as indicated at 172 and 174 which form means for gripping the tobacco leaves therebetween. Obviously, in lieu of the foam rubber segments 172 and 174, suitable teeth or the like can be utilized. A suitable canopy 130 may be adjustably mounted on the frame 3@ above each seat 26 and 28.

In use, after the tobacco picker has picked the leaves from the tobacco plants, past which the tobacco harvester is traveling, the tobacco leaves may be inserted between the endless belts or chains 160 and 162 and upon proper operation of the foot pedal 156, the endless belts may be moved in a step by step manner carrying the tobacco leaves with them. When enough tobacco leaves have been inserted so as to fill the space between the endless belts 160 and 162, the tobacco picker can then operate the clutch handle 78 which will cause the cable 66 to be wound on the drum 72 thus causing the lift arms to be raised in a pivotal manner raising the tobacco lifts substantially horizontal. When the tobacco lifts have risen to a desired height relative to the platform 32 depending upon the height of the person upon the platform, and when the latch 56 has engaged the toothed member 58, the tobacco sticks may be clamped about the upstanding ends of the tobacco leaves after which the cable 116 can be tripped thus releasing the tobacco leaves from the tobacco lift. Then, the foot lever 82 can be tripped and the buffer 89 will dampen the lowering of the tobacco lift by gravity. At this point, the tobacco harvester will be in position for a further cycle.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lips.

2. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, a plurality of seats for tobacco pickers mounted on said chassis to the rear of said tobacco lifts, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and pedal means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lift in front of said seats.

3. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, a plurality of seats for tobacco pickers mounted on said chassis to the rear of said tobacco lifts, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and pedal means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lift in front of said seats, and latch means for holding said lift arms in a raised position and foot release means for disengaging said latch means.

4. A tobacco harvester comprising a Wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, and latch means for holding said lift arms in a raised position, and foot release means for disengaging said latch means, and hydraulic buffer means connected between said lift arms and said frame.

5. .A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chiassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted `on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift larms, `a plurality of seats for tobacco pickers mounted on said chassis to the rear lof said tobacco lifts, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and pedal means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lift in front of said seats, and latch means for holding said lift arms in a raised position and fo'ot release means for disengaging said latch means, and hydraulic buffer means Yconnected between said lift |arms and said frame.

, 6. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame rabove said chassis, a plurality of lift `arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for naising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said'lift arms, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, each 'of slaid endless belts having segmental gripping members affixed thereto, said gripping members comprising paris of foam rubber.

7. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said ch'assis, a platform supported by said frame 'above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift larms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, said belts having a plurality of spaced pins extending therethrough, said belts being engaged about sprockets with said pins being engaged in the teeth of said sprockets.

8. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled chassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said clnassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality Iof lift arms mounted on saird frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering sai-d lift arms, and la plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, a plurality of seats for tobacco pickers mounted on said chiassis to the rear of said tobacco lifts, each of saifd tobacco lifts including a spaced pair of endless belts for receiving `and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and pedal means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lift in front of said seats, said belts having la plurality of spaced pins extending therethrough,

said belts being engaged about sprockets with said pins being engaged in the teeth 'of said sprockets.

9. A tobacco harvester comprising a wheeled dhassis, means for propelling said chassis, a frame carried by said chassis, a platform supported by said frame above said chassis, a plurality of lift arms mounted on said frame for movement upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, means for raising and lowering said lift arms, and a plurality of tobacco lifts carried by said lift arms, a plurality of seats for tobacco pickers mounted on said chassis to t-he rear of said tobacco lifts, each of said tobacco lifts including a spaced pair `of endless belts for receiving and holding tobacco leaves therebetween, and pedal means for intermittently moving said endless belts depending from said lift in front of said seats, said belts having a plurality of spaced pins extending therethrough, said belts being engaged about sprockets with said pins being engaged in the teeth of said sprockets, said pedal means causing rotation yof said sprockets, each of said endless belts having segmental gripping members atixed thereto, said gripping members comprising pads of foam rubber.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,295 Flntjer Sept. 29, 1942 2,350,641 Ruddock June 6, 1944 2,518,965 Whitley Aug. 15, 1950 2,564,614 Sowers Aug, 14, 1951 2,675,136 Spikes Apr. 13, 1954 2,704,080 Young Mar. 15, 1955 

